Comparing Doctoral Studies

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Comparing Doctoral Studies across the

Atlantic: The Case of University of Ghana andSome Selected North American Universities

Seth Oppong

Depart. of Psychology & Human DevelopmentRegent University College of Science & Technology

Accra-Ghana

December 19, 2010


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Outline

Background

Objectives

Comparative analysis

Features of North American Doctoral Studies

Appraisal of Existing University of Ghana I/O

Graduate Programme

Suggestion for the Graduate Programme at

University of Ghana

Conclusions


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Background This compares the Ph.D. programme in North America and that at

University of Ghana, Legon; industrial/organisational psychology(I/O) doctoral studies is the focus of this analysis.

The North American I/O doctoral programmes considered hereinclude: I/O Ph.D. programme at California State University, Long Beach

Harvard Universitys Ph.D. in Organisational Behaviour,

I/O Ph.D. programme at University of South Florida

Though the Ph.D. at University of Ghana is by research, in thisanalysis it is assumed that the course work at the M.Phil level isreasonably equivalent to the course component in the doctoralprogrammes in North America.

The assumption above is also based on the fact that NorthAmerican Doctoral Programmes differentiate between Ph.D.students and Ph.D. candidates.


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Background Contd.

It is only when students have passed all courses, written anM. A. thesis and also passed comprehensive exams that they

upgrade to the doctoral candidate status (meaning they are

now doing the Ph.D. and all along they have been doing

M.A.)

Some US universities award M.Phil. to students who forsome reason could not complete their doctoral dissertation

or whose dissertations are considered below a Ph.D.

standard; this only happens after they have passed all the

courses.

Probably, the developers of University of Ghana graduate

programmes may have assumed that the M.Phil. candidates

will proceed immediately to the Ph.D.; if this happens you

cant tell the difference between the US structure and

Ghanas structure.


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Curriculum of I/O Graduate Programme (Philosophiae

Magister M.Phil) at the Depart. of Psychology, University of

Ghana, Legon

Core Courses

Research Methods

Statistics and Data Analysis

Psychometrics

Contemporary Issues in Social

Psychology

Social Psychology of Gender

Systems and Theories of

Psychology

Main I/O courses

Personnel Psychology

Accident and Safety at Work

Organizational Behaviour

Organizational Theory

Human Relations in Organizations

Contemporary Issues in I/O

Psychology

Consumer Behaviour*

Ergonomics*

*Courses not usually taught


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Doctoral Programmes at University of

Ghana and California State UniversityUniversity of Ghana, Legon-Accra(M.Phil. Ph.D.)

1. PSYC 603: Research Methods

2. PSYC 602: Statistics and Data Analysis

3. PSYC 601: Psychometrics

4. PSYC 661: Contemporary Issues in SocialPsychology

5. PSYC 672: Social Psychology of Gender

6. PSYC 604: Systems and Theories ofPsychology

7. PSYC 653: Personnel Psychology

8. PSYC 657: Accident and Safety at Work

9. PSYC 652: Organizational Behaviour

10. PSYC 651: Organizational Theory

11. PSYC 658: Human Relations in Organizations

12. PSYC 654: Contemporary Issues in I/OPsychology

California State University, LongBeach (M.A. Ph.D.)1. PSY 535 - Organizational Psychology

2. PSY 536 - Personnel Psychology

3. PSY 612 - Applied Multiple Regression

and Correlation4. PSY 511 - Statistics in Psychology

5. PSY 510 - Principles of PsychologicalMeasurement

6. PSY 611 - Research Design

7. PSY 636 - Organizational Application ofPersonnel Psychology

8. PSY 736 - Strategies for Intervention inSocial Systems

9. PSY 613 - Multivariate and CorrelationalMethods

10. PSY 630 - Advanced Social PSY

Note that there are only 2 statistics courses at University of Ghana as against 4 statistics

courses at California State University, Long Beach and it is a common trend in North America.


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Doctoral Programmes Contd.

University of Ghana, Legon-Accra(M.Phil. Ph. D.)

13. PSYC 680: Seminar Presentation I: M.Phil.

Research Proposal presentation

14. PSYC 690: Seminar Presentation II: M.Phil.

Viva Voce

15. PSYC 600: M.Phil. thesis

16. PSYC 683: Industrial Attachment

17. Seminar Presentation I: Doctoral

Research Proposal Presentation

18. Doctoral Dissertation: Implementation

and Report writing19. Seminar Presentation II: Doctoral Viva

Voce

California State University, LongBeach (M. A. Ph.D.)

11. PSY 798 M. A. Thesis

12. PSY 790 Practicum

13. PSY 791 - Practicum14. PSY 737 - Seminar in I/O Psychology

15. PSY 898 - Doctoral Dissertation:

Design

16. PSY 899 - Doctoral Dissertation:

Implementation

Note that there is an M.A. thesis and Doctoral dissertation for the US university; this

tells you that by taking the courses on previous slide the student is at the masters

level not doctoral.


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Curriculum for Ph.D. I/O Psychology at

University of South Florida


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Common Features of the North

American Ph.D. Programmes In the North American programmes, students should propose,

implement, and successfully defend M.A thesis by the end of the Year

2; this is similar to University of Ghanas M.Phil.

In the North American programmes, students also prepare for and

write comprehensive exams in Year 3 or 4; like all graduateprogrammes based on the Oxbridge model, there is no comprehensive

exams at University of Ghana.

One clear feature of the North American programmes is that students

take some non-examinable advanced courses during Years 3 and 4.

Many of these courses are in the form of seminars implying thatstudent assessment take forms other than tests.

Research and statistics are key components of the doctoral

programmes.

North American doctoral programmes are more structured,

particularly the post-masters period.


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Appraisal of Existing University of Ghana

I/O Graduate ProgrammeStrength

Greater scope in terms of the number

of modules taken for a masters level

programme.

Speakers from the field make

presentations on selected topics

6 months practicum

More practice-oriented and a plus for

practice-oriented students (In theory, it

is based on Boulder method but in

practice it resembles the Vail method)

Prepares students to teach and practice

than to research as Ghana now needs

more university teachers (this does not

mean we dont need skilled

researchers)

Weakness Less depth in module

Multivariate analysis is not taught

Advanced Research methods not

taught Practicum not supervised by the

department

Problem of access to learningmaterials

Upgrading to Ph.D. will require extramodules/course in advanced

statistics and research methods Does not favour research-oriented

students who intend to upgrade toPh.D. at the department in theabsence of advanced researchmethods and statistics.


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Should the main Objective of Doctoral

Studies be Research? Contd.

As research and statistics are the weak areas of University of

Ghanas doctoral students, it can be said that it may actually

be preparing candidates to practice and teach better than to

research.

It becomes obvious that the current Ph.D.s may be a misnomer.

As a result, it may be better for University of Ghana to change

the existing doctoral title from Pholosophiae Doctor or

Doctor of Philosophy (research doctoral degree) to Artium

Doctor or Doctor of Arts (nicknamed as teaching doctoral

degree);

Alternatively, University of Ghana can put in place measures to

revamp the statistics and research component while maintaining the

status quo.


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Suggestion for the I/O Graduate

Programme at University of Ghana Introduction of the following will help:

Advanced Research Methods either at M.Phil level or at doctoral level

SPSS for data analysis at both M.Phil and doctoral levels

Advanced Statistics: Applied Multivariate Analysis at both M.Phil anddoctoral levels

The three-year post-M.Phil or doctoral work should be structured as

to what the doctoral candidate has to do each semester or year.

Like the University of South Floridas programmes, seminars in areas

such as recruitment & selection, training & development,

Psychometric testing, occupational health, and others should be

introduced. Here, students should be assessed via teaching

assignments of these topics at the M.Phil level and comprehensive

essays.


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Suggestion for the I/O Graduate Programme

at University of Ghana Contd. Introduction of the following will help:

Compulsory graduate teaching assistantship during

dissertation/thesis period at doctoral level to prepare candidate for

undergraduate teaching.

Until the statistics and research components have been revamped, it

may be better to change the existing doctoral title from Doctor of

Philosophy (Ph.D.) to Doctor of Arts (D.A.) as this will help observers to

know that University of Ghana doctoral candidates are better teachers

than researchers.


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Conclusions The structure of I/O M.Phil. programme at University of

Ghana is comparable to the course component of any I/Odoctoral programme in the world but more structure is

needed at the doctoral level as well as introduction of some

advanced courses in research and statistics.

It is more practice-oriented and instead of producing

scientist-practitioner, it produces practitioners and teachers.

This may actually be good! Why? You think about it!

As a result, University of Ghana should award Doctor of Arts

(D.A.) in I/O psychology rather than Ph.D. as it prepares its

doctoral students better for the classroom and practice thanresearch.


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Conclusions Contd.

As indicated earlier, it may be more appropriate for University

of Ghana to award D.A. instead of Ph.D. so as to avoid the

unnecessary and unfair comparison with North American

Ph.D.

Alternatively, University of Ghana can introduce advanced courses inresearch and statistics and continue to award Ph.D; SPSS should also

be taught.

Finally, advanced courses in the respective subjects (such as

selection, job analysis, etc. in I/O psychology) should also be

made available to doctoral students; these courses shouldtake the form of non-examinable seminars.


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Thank [email protected]

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Comparing Doctoral Studies